Best Trails in Kaibab National Forest

Looking for a great trail in Kaibab National Forest, Arizona? AllTrails has 16 great hiking trails, trail running trails, views trails and more, with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers, and nature lovers like you. Ready for some activity? There are 10 moderate trails in Kaibab National Forest ranging from 1.3 to 38.5 miles and from 6,414 to 8,677 feet above sea level. Start checking them out and you'll be out on the trail in no time!

The Kaibab National Forest encompasses most of the Kaibab Plateau, with a boundary bordering Grand Canyon National Park. A visitor center is located at Jacob Lake, 30 miles south and east of Fredonia at the junction of highways US 89A and AZ 67.

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This was an awesome hike today! There was some snow on the ground, but made things beautiful. Had to cross small creek in a couple of places, but our family loves these kind of adventures. I have a 14 to and 9 to and was great for the. Trail is marked well.

Husband and I decided to give this hike a go in the snow since 70% of it is pretty flat. We’ve hiked this trail together two other times and this time was after a recent snow. Lots of ice under the snow-I slipped and “gracefully” fell once and he also took a couple slips. Lots of muddy rocky areas so our shoes got wetter than we were hoping. This took a couple hours longer than usual for us. We know the terrain and trail super well, so that’s saying a lot regarding the difficulty today. It was also clear that we were the ONLY people hiking this trail recently in the snow since no other tracks were seen at all. If you haven’t hiked this trail before, then it’s highly suggested you download the trail before attempting in the snow. The trail was hard to see or find at times. Luckily we remembered most direction of the trail from memory. Dressed in several layers, thermal hiking/Omni heat pants and used toe warmers on the socks so we stayed pretty warm.

This trail was remote, packed full of amazing views, offers backpacking and car camping options, and rewards you with a little extra by having the fire watch tower at the top! The terrain changes a lot along the way. Larger rocks, gravel, some sandy/dirt, but over all pretty good for stability. There are some “no motorized vehicles beyond this point” signs along the access roads, which added some time to our hike bc we weren’t sure how far up we could drive. The small loop before the trail head begins is where you can park. Unless the fire tower is staffed and they let you access their water, there is no water on the trail. My husband and I did this hike in October and drank a decent amount, but had more than enough left in our 3 liter bladders (this was the first hike of the day, so our bladders were filled in preparation for a full day of hiking). There are two sets of switch backs, the first being much easier than the second. We’re from Indiana, so the elevation was a little hard to handle. The base of the hike was decently warm for this time of year, but once you hit the second set of switchbacks near the top, the wind picks up and the temperature feels quite a bit cooler. I did this hike in capri hiking pants, Keens close toed sandals, a wicking tank and base layer long sleeve and was 100% comfortable (temps were in the high 60’s). There was some construction being done on the tower so we talked with the workers briefly and were able to go onto the deck and take some photos. We also sat on the eastern side and had a quick snack before heading down. Take those bits into consideration when looking at our total time.Great hike and other than the workers, we didn’t see a single human (lots of animal tracks though!).

Super beautiful, peaceful, nice views from the top. I’d definitely rate this one moderate rather than hard; there is some nice elevation gain but none of the terrain is in any way difficult. I’d definitely hike this again.

Great trail for almost any skill level, only one real uphill section pretty level otherwise. nice relaxing hike with plenty of scenery. Very easy trail to follow, I never needed my maps, plenty of cairns.

What a beautiful hike through the woods. So peaceful, and then beautiful views at the top. I clocked this at more like 9.5 miles, with the last bit to the lookout (go up the tower if it’s open). An unexpectedly wonderful hike - did this on a whim as I headed back to Phoenix.

This hike was more beautiful than I imagined. I started early (Sept 5) to avoid getting rained out due to monsoon season. I would rate this hike as moderate not difficult or hard due to the somewhat short length. Perfect lung-buster hike due to elevation and the gain. I loved this hike and would do it again if I lived here!

The first 1/2 mike was wonderful. Loved the forest. Unfortunately the trail went close to the road several times with 3 different actual road crossing. All we could here for most of the hike were side by sides on the road. Very frustrating. When we finally got to the summit we found several radio towers. So much for nature. Disappointed is to easy a word for how we felt. Did it once. That was enough.

This trail is definitely hard. The trail steadily gains elevation but the last mile is where a lot of it comes from. The trail is 3 miles to the junction with lookout trail. The lookout trail is another 3/4 mile. Round trip is about 7.5 miles.

This is a long trail. If it wasnt so long I would say the hike over all was pretty easy. It is 5 miles to the top. You cross a few dirt roads. When you get to the top it is very scenic. I am glad I did this trail but I am only doing it once.

We did the full 11 mike loop. Gorgeous and easy to follow the trail. So many mosquitos! TONS. I’ll be back when there are no mosquitos! Hike wasn’t too hard. We hiked it clockwise ...about 5.5hrs with breaks

Took my dog here and overall it was a nice hike with plenty to see, we got to about the 7 mike mark after Sycamore Falls and got lost. The trail was clearly marked and I think because of the excess of water (due to rain) we got turned around. Luckily the road was only about 2 miles from us so we found our way back

Beautiful hike that ends on a service road for the radio towers. Climbed up the lookout tower for fantastic views. Millions of ladybugs clumped in the bushes! Easy access and well marked with plastic diamonds nailed to the trees. I’ve never seen so many downed trees. One 3-foot diameter tree completely snapped off. Glad we weren’t there on that day!

Easy hike. The waterfall obviously is seasonal as it was dry when I went. This would be great for kids. If I’m ever around at the right time I would come back as the snow is melting and in the afternoon for the best sun being behind you.

Me and a friend finished this trail in 5 hours and some few minutes **brushes shoulder off ** which includes getting lost on a few falsely appearing right paths that actually ended up leading to nothing and having to turn back. I ended up at 12 miles total. When hitting double tanks, we saw an interesting character who asked us if we saw the big waterfall and we hadn’t reach that point, so she led us clear across the forest off path straight to sycamore falls (we were convinced she was some forest dweller or extraterrestrial) however she took us to sycamore falls and then she disappeared. We could have easily missed the falls because it’s not actually a destination on this trail; one must cross over a rocky river bed to sycamore falls trail and take the trail to the tank so plan your visit accordingly. Thank you forest lady!

I must say whoever the younin’ is that threw the soccer ball into the tank at sycamore falls...why bro!!!!???? I also recon to download the trail so ya don’t get lost; I downloaded it and still got lost. The water was frozen and started to melt and it was so beautiful. The forest..beautiful. The rocks...beautiful. Loved the part where the trail follows into pomeroy tanks. Didn’t see Bigfoot like I had hoped but I was overly satisfied with this trail and can’t wait to go back.